The making of a city is a gradual process. Brick by brick constructions are raised over centuries to form cities like London, New York and Mumbai. It is an ongoing concrete evolution where one witnesses the shaping of a city. Mass migrations and clustered residential and commercial accommodation makes the city vulnerable to disasters. No city is perfectly insulated from the wild elements of Nature. Over the centuries, both natural and artificial calamities have destroyed the skyline of famous cities around the world.

The ‘Great Fire of London’ in 1666 that started from a baker’s shop, swallowed most of the structures surrounding the river Thames. The intensity of the fire was so much that it took 4 days to douse it off! Click here for more details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNAjIxhi0Yk. It is believed that King Charles II too was part of the rescue operation to save the whole of London from turning into ashes and then helping the great city to stand up on its feet again.

Memorial pillar in memory of the 66 firemen who lost their lives in the Bombay Explosions of 1944.

New York witnessed a terrorist attack in 2001 when the twin towers of the World Trade Centre came crashing down. 343 firemen who were on duty to rescue New Yorkers died in the unfortunate incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcX3iffQcI

Mumbai too has its own saga of being subjected to calamities that have scarred the city’s landscape. On 14th April 1944, a cargo ship named SS Fort Stikine was docked at Victoria dock. It contained mixed cargo of cotton bales, gold and ammunition (1,400 tons of explosive). The ship caught fire and was destroyed in two giant blasts! Click here for an original video footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuD3esOUlvc. The impact of these blasts were so humongous that pieces of iron, steel and even gold scattered in the periphery of the dock! The surrounding ships too caught fire, which was spreading inwards into the city which was then known Bombay. The Bombay Fire Brigade with all its might conducted the rescue operation and stopped the fire at the docks itself. More than 800 civilian lost their life and 66 firemen died in the deadly combat with fire that went on for 3 days. As a tribute to the firemen who lost their lives in the incident a Leyland fire engine, that was part of the rescue operation at the dock, has been preserved at Mumbai’s Byculla Fire Station. Also 14th April – 21st April is marked as ‘Fire Safety Week’ in honour of the 66 fire fighters who sacrificed their lives to save Mumbai.

Antique fire engine used during the 1944 Victoria Dock rescue mission

This year’s fire week celebration, which recently concluded, was marked with novel programmes. In the presence of the chief fire officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mr. Prabhat Rahangdale, a fire safte & precaution related phone helpline was inaugurated. An announcement of the brigade’s new policy to intake women recruits hereafter too was made. Besides this a Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda has been appointed as brand ambassador of Mumbai Fire Brigade to attract volunteers from the common people who would serve the brigade in times of crisis. Here’s a link of the volunteer promotion drive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlzP-9MRIQ

The genesis of Mumbai Fire Brigade started in 1777. Locals were given Rs. 4 per day to manage hand carts and horse chariots loaded with water and get into action if there were any fire accidents in the then Bombay. In 1855, the Bombay Fire Brigade was started under the jurisdiction of Commissioner of Police. The Municipal Corporation of Bombay was later handed the responsibility of the city’s fire protection needs from 1st April 1887 onwards till date. Since then Mumbai Fire Brigade- A 129 year old institution is just not dedicated to protect Mumbai from fire but also be at service during building collapses, drowning, gas leakage, oil spillage, road and rail accidents, bird and animal rescues, managing fallen trees and assisting other services during natural disasters like floods. ‘Valour, Abnegation and Sacrifice’ is the motto of the Mumbai Fire Brigade and over the years, the firemen have walked the talk by putting the brigade’s motto into action. Though the fire department feels the pinch of not having all modern firefighting equipments, still the firemen use all resources at their disposal to do their best.

Smoke hovering Victoria Dock during the aftermath of the Bombay Explosions in 1944

Since the Victoria dock explosions to the recent Taj Hotel rescue mission of 2008, the fire fighters of Mumbai Fire Brigade have answered every call of duty with utmost dedication and outstanding integrity. Click here for the Taj Hotel incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSQtBBtiQFk I always wonder about the spirit of the people who serve for ‘high physical risk professions’ like working at a fire station. I salute Mumbai Fire Brigade’s effort of being 24/7 at service for the city of Mumbai and have heartfelt sentiments for their families, who with a tough heart, bid their men goodbye for a rescue mission. Indeed, it’s a noteworthy fact that since 1877, with ‘fire in their belly’, the Mumbai Fire Brigade has been dousing fires, that threaten the landscape of Mumbai!! Kudos guys!

Writing has always been a passion for Shraddha. She writes poems, lyrics, fiction, non-fiction & documentary film scripts. A consulting Psychologist and lecturer of Psychology by profession, Shraddha sees herself blooming into a creative writer and wishes to present her work world-wide. She manages her own website: www.mindmatterz.net - and writes content for it herself. The website is based on the principles of Positive Psychology and aims to promote the importance of mental health & well-being. Besides possessing a post-graduate degree in Psychology, she has earned yet another post-graduate degree in History from University of Mumbai. Travelling and photography are two hobbies that she is fond of. Having visited the U.S and U.K so far, she dreams to travel to different international destinations and thereby experience the culture and history of places that she visits. She is born and brought up in Mumbai, India, where she is currently residing. Email Shraddha

About Shraddha. C. Sankulkar

Writing has always been a passion for Shraddha. She writes poems, lyrics, fiction, non-fiction & documentary film scripts. A consulting Psychologist and lecturer of Psychology by profession, Shraddha sees herself blooming into a creative writer and wishes to present her work world-wide. She manages her own website: www.mindmatterz.net - and writes content for it herself. The website is based on the principles of Positive Psychology and aims to promote the importance of mental health & well-being. Besides possessing a post-graduate degree in Psychology, she has earned yet another post-graduate degree in History from University of Mumbai. Travelling and photography are two hobbies that she is fond of. Having visited the U.S and U.K so far, she dreams to travel to different international destinations and thereby experience the culture and history of places that she visits. She is born and brought up in Mumbai, India, where she is currently residing. Email Shraddha